Question by Renee Josephine: What’s the most “eco-friendly” way to raise babies?
I’m pregnant and I’m not like an eco-fanatic but I’m starting to try. For starters, I’m breastfeeding so that’s none of the waste that comes with bottle feeding (my sister used formula and easily had ten plastic containers that were thrown away every single week). I plan on using cloth diapers (again, after watching all that my sister threw away each week, it just seems wasteful). But I see all these things about “organic” baby clothing and toys and I just don’t understand how it really matters if I buy clothes made of organic cotton or wool for twice the price. How does that work? Any other ways to be an eco-friendly mom? Thanks.
Best answer:
Answer by Soon to blow your socks off
breast feed
What do you think? Answer below!
Raise the kid to be kind. The rest will follow. Cloth diapers= nightmare. Breast feeding- cool til teeth come in. Waste not, want not is a good saying. You are right not to fall into the organic hype. Saving money is “eco-friendly” for your family. A strong family creates innovative and constructive assets to sociey. Truly “eco-friendly”.
I suggest you read “The Green Book” and maybe “Gorgeously Green” you may be able to find both at the library. There is so many things you can do that will reduce your impact on the world and many are not more expensive and don’t take much more effort. I’ll tell you a few things I did when it came to raising baby, then I’ll also add my standard go green answer, it’s a little long. I used cloth and when I washed them I used Borax, which is a non chlorine bleach, and I line dried them. If you find this doesn’t work for you I hope you will consider G diapers, which are kind of a hybrid and biodegradable. I breast fed and when I had to go back to work only used glass bottles, they can last a lifetime. I used a food mill and made my own baby food, steamed organic produce which was local and in season is as nutritious than anything you get from a factory. I just bought less, we have a tendency to buy dozens of outfits and blankets, then they grow out of them before they even look used. As far as organic cotton and wool etc, there are 2 things, they were grown/ raised with fewer toxins, but they also won’t be filled with toxic flame retardants. I’ll put a few links, it’s scary what we put next to our babies tender skin and lungs to save them from non existent fire.
Going green is easy, there are so many great resources about the subject. My personal favorite is “The Green Book” which has parts of its book online as well at http://www.readthegreenbook.com.
As I have been striving to “Go Green” I realize it is like stepping back in time without getting rid of my modern conveniences. I’m doing many things I learned as a child, like line drying my clothes, sweeping instead of vacuuming, opening the windows in the morning to catch the cool breeze, only buying what I need instead of everything that looks cool, growing some of my own food, and canning what I can’t eat now.
To me “going Green” is a frame of mind. Do what fits your lifestyle and do the easy things first, it is a process and like dieting if you go to radical to soon, you are more likely to go back to bad habits. I also believe there are good, better, best choices in most things. If you aren’t ready to start a home garden, then try finding a farmers market, until you locate one look for produce grown as close to home as possible and go organic when available.
Many people think “going green” is expensive, I disagree. Some changes may take an initial investment, but they usually have a short payoff time. Things like weather stripping and insulation cost, but the energy savings will add up quickly. You may need to purchase reusable bags, but most stores give you a 5 or 10 cent credit, so you are paid back within a few months.
Reduce your packaging, if you eat more fresh food you will generally reduce packaging, it’s the same thing they tell dieters, shop the perimeter, that is where all the meat, dairy and produce are located. Only buy what you will use, many Americans throw away a lot of unused food. Buy in bulk, that doesn’t just mean large packages, but that area with the bins that you buy only what you plan on using.
Replace disposable items with durable items, if you eat outside often and use disposable paper or plastic plates, it is a wise investment to purchase a set of reusable plastic plates. Replace disposable razors, diapers and cleaning products like swiffer. Avoid bottled water, get a home filter like Pur or Brita.
Recycle, http://www.earth911.org will help you locate the nearest recycle center. I try to only purchase plastics that are #1 or #2, they are more easily recycled. I also buy recycled products when available, that includes paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, tissue, school/office supplies and clothing.
Detox your cleaning, vinegar and baking soda clean almost anything, they can even loosen a hair clog. Seventh Generation and Method are a couple mainstream brands that are very earth friendly.
Just start small and build from there, don’t get overwhelmed.
Thats great that your trying to raise your baby eco-friendly! And breat feeding is also healthier for you and the baby…
Always teach your child to be kind and compassionate. Vegetable gardens are a great activity for you and your kid, and makes for healthier (if you grow organtic) more eco-friendly food! Recycle, of course. You might also look into vegetarianism. Factory farms are the main cause of pollution, even above cars.
1. Cloth diapers are less wasteful, but be prepared to wash all the poop off.
2. Bottles can be re-used, so I’m not sure which kind your sister is using.
3. Organic cotton is not dusted with pesticide. When you put on a 100% non organic cotton T-shirt, did you know only about 72% of the shirt is cotton? The rest of your shirt is a mixture of pesticide residues, insecticide residues, layers of silicone and other sizing chemicals wrapped around each individual thread, formaldehyde residues from coloring. That doesn’t sound to healthy for a baby to be wearing, or adults for that matter.
I’m also certain that organic cotton can better decompose if tossed in the garbage.
Breast feeding is very good! Make sure to keep yourself healthy, and take your prenatal vitamins you took when you were pregnant…..Cloth diapers are very good idea….I did that with my kids, too expensive to buy the paper diapers. If you have a washer and dryer, you should be able to handle the laundry just fine…..Do you have a blender at home?
Fruits and veggies——stick it in there on ‘Puree’, make your own
baby food! Organic is best……I wouldn’t trust those baby foods and
the Formulas!!!?? Have you read those ingredients? My goodness!
No wonder theres an epidemic of obesity and illnesses going on with our children…..Don’t give your children juices with that High Fructose Corn Syrup in it…..You have Children coming down with Diabetes these days……..That use to happen to older people…..They put sugar in Canned Foods even!…..Canned fruit? High Fructose Corn Syrup! Fruit is already Naturally sweetened!!!! My Gosh! They are killing Us!
Do your best to go Organic, and take your vitamins! You sound like a Good Mamma! love
What’s the most “eco-friendly” way to raise babies?
You are on a good starting point –
A life style of less disposables and more keepables:
1. Breast feeding / freshly made foods vs. in jars/frozen/packed
2. Cloth diapers (use of a diaper service for a fresh load each wk)
a diaper rash is an unnatural phenomenon found only on babies with plastic diapers
3. Use of least plastic in toys and accessories, this will take ongoing thinking but can be done or at least attempted
e.g. alternates are use of wood, metal, clay/ceramic/glass, fabric
In addition to the above alternatives being better for the baby, good for mother and Mother Nature, they are much less expensive on dad’s wallet. And lets not forget – no hassle of running for diapers and formula with the car every other week.
Also, this will lead to a ‘fresher’ lifestyle as apposed to a ‘canned/frozen and packed in plastic’ one which in the long run is a very healthy start for your baby.
*** The next generation will learn from you right from the start.
I’m not an eco-fanatic either. The things that I do that happen to be “green” are because I am cheap/frugal. I have breastfed three children, and only been bitten once, so don’t worry about that too much. It is easy to discourage them from biting.
Cloth diapering I have done with four children. It is not a big deal at all. The poop normally falls off into the toilet with one dunk. I normally wash in hot water for diapers, while the rest of my laundry is in cold, then hang the clothes and diapers on the line. I do use the dryer in the winter time though.
Teach your child to recycle, if it is important to you. We recycle, not because we are environmentally friendly but because there isn’t trash pick up out in the country and the dumpsters are too expensive. We have a paper pile that we burn every now and then, use reusable grocery bags, take aluminum cans in for money, grow, hunt for, and raise most of our own food, so this prevents a lot of packaging waste. I
Regarding the buying of organic baby clothes. I view that as a marketing tool, and as long as you buy cotton clothing that is a lot more environmentally friendly than others. We also tend to hand down our baby items (family and church family), so the recycling here is done, but again for frugal reasons.
We also recentlyy downsized from a 1700 sq ft home to a 360 sq ft “cabin” converted from a 45 ft long shipping container. The ultimate in green housing and recycling
Every little bit helps, so look for areas to reduce, reuse and recycle.